Reclining chair



June 17, 1941. w; REDMOND 5,245,713-

RECLINING CHAIR Filed April 29, 1938 [mm f7. Re w Patented June 17, 1941 f *UNETED STATES PAT T F IC 2 Claims.

. This invention relates to an improvementin chairs, seats or benches and more particularly to a base support and tilting device therefor.

'One form of the invention is disclosed applied to a reclining chair and serves to support and facilitate tilting the chair from one position to another. Within certain prescribed limits any desired change in incline of the chair is easily made by a shift of weight of the occupant.

When the chair is in a desired position, that is,

fully upright or tilted, or, at any position therebetween, it will not readily shift to another position as a result of ordinary movement of the occupant.

The invention is primarily directed and has for its principal object the provision of a device that may be attached to or formed integral with any generally non-adjustable chair, bench or seat for the purpose of providing limited tilting thereof.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a device of thisclass which has a locking effect in the upright or fully tilted position of the chair.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a tilting device of this class in which relatively movable interfitting friction surfaces serveto' mount the chair and facilitate adjustment to any desired position within certain prescribed tilting limits, these surfaces being held in purpose of varying the limit of tilt or incline.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a device of this class having inclined frictionally engaged relatively movable surfaces, the relative angularity of which serves to control the limit and degree of tilt of the chair.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional chair in upright position, being fitted with one modification of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1, showing the chair in fully tilted position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the lower frame of the chair, showing the location of the invention, being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the members which comprise the chair support and tilting device, being shown in the forward or upright chair position; 1

Fig. 5 is a view of the members of the device in an adjusted position to partially tilt the chair:

Fig. 6 is a further view of the members of the device showing them in a position to fully tilt the chair; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the device, taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Reference is now had to the drawing wherein the numeral II] is employed to generally indicate any type of chair, seat or bench to which the present combined supporting and tilting device may be applied.

In the present disclosure, the chair II includes a base or frame portion II, seat'I2, and back I3. If the chair is of considerable proportions, it may be found convenient to provide front legs or supports, Id. The base II in the present chair modification is shown to comprise front and rear rails I6 and I1 and. side rails I8. These rails are made integral in any conventional manner.

A supporting and tilting device I9 is attachable to any chair having a base similar to base II of chair I0, and comprises a pair of members 29 and 2I. The member 20 is secured by bolts or screws 22 to the inner face of the rail I8. In the present disclosure the member is of a thickness comparable to that of the rail I8, but it will be understood that it may be varied as required in the application of the device to other types of chairs. The lower edge of the member 20 is formed with what may be termed a friction surface. This surface commencing at the rear of the member comprises a rounded portion 23 that is continued in an upwardly inclined surface 24. Meeting the surface 24 is a downwardly inclined surface 26 that terminates in a projection 21. Forwardly of the projection 21 is a downwardly opening pocket 28, one Wall of which is continued in an inclined surface 29. v

The member 2| of the device is formed at opposite ends with a pair of legs or supporting portions 3|. A pair of arcuate slots 32 are made transversely of the central portion and serve to accommodate the shank portions 33 of bolts 34,

Bolts 34 project through the rail [3, being secured by nuts 35. From the foregoing it will be understood that the member 2! has limited movement relative to the rail IS. The upper edge of the member 2| is formed with a friction surface that, commencing at the rear of the member, comprises an upwardly opening pocket 36 that corresponds to and is adapted to receive the portion 23 of the member 20. One wall of the pocket 36 is continued-upwardly to form an inclined surface 31. The surface 31 terminates in a generally horizontal portion 33 which, towards the front of the member, slopes slightly downwardly to form an upwardly opening pocket 39. Directly forwardly of the pocket 39 is an upstanding projection 4! which terminates at the forward end of the member in a downwardly inclined surface 42.

Before describing the operation of the device attention is directed to the fact that surfaces 31 and 42 are of a different pitch and that by further varying this pitch the extentoftilt of the upper member 25, as it moves forwardly or backwardly with respect to the member 2!, is thereby increased or decreased, as the case may be. When pairs of members 2i) and 21 are secured to opposite side rails 58 of a chair, the chair may be tilted from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2. When the chair is in an upright or extreme tilted position it will be noted there is a definite interengagement of the friction surfaces of the members 2B and 2!.

Referring to Fig. 4 it willbe noted that projection 4! lies in pocket 23 and projection 21 in pocket 39. stop to limit forward movement of the chair. As the chair is tilted rearwardly, the member 2E3 moves through an arc with respect to the member 25 that is determined by the curvature of slots 32. Surface 29 of the member 28 slides upwardly over the projection 4|. The inclined surface 24 of the same member moves downwardly from the point formed by the meeting of surfaces 31 and 38 until it contacts surface 37 throughout its length and the projection 23 of the member 20 engages the pocket 36. When this position of the members has been reached (see Fig. 6) the chair is fully tilted.

It will be understood that when the present device is applied to chairs of different size, weight,

and construction, certain parts of the members 20 and 2| will necessarily be altered. For exam- This interengagement serves as a ple, if the chair is very light weight it may be found desirable to utilize a spring in connection with the bolts 34 for the purpose of providing better frictional engagement as between the member 2| and rail I8. It may also be desirable to increase the tilting limit of the chair and this is accomplished by changing the incline of either surface 31 or 42 and changing one of the surfaces of the member 20 to correspond. It will be apparent that when the device is located more nearly centrally than rearwardly of a chair such as is shown in the drawing, the extent of tilt will be less than as if the device was located at the extreme rear of the chair. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a pair of members 2| may constitute the entire supporting means for the chair and may be secured to a floor. With this structure in mind the invention is fully applicable to seats or chairs of the type commonly used in buses, Pullman cars, and airplanes.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modification of his invention and its application to a particular type of chair, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations may be made and'are contemplated insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. .In a tilting device for a chair, a pair of relatively 'slidable members, one superposed on the other, the contacting surfaces of said members being of irregular contour and having substantially only point-like contact intermediate the extreme adjusted positions of said members and interengageable means on said members adjacent at least one end of said surfaces, said means .when interengaged providing a relatively large area of contact of said surfaces.

2. In a tilting device for a chair, a pair of superposed members, frictional contacting surfaces on said members, said members being relatively slidable in the direction-of their length, certain portions of said contacting surfaces of said members being complementary and adapted to inter-fit in either of two longitudinally adjusted positions whereby to limit and determine the extent of relative slidable movement of said members.

. WILLIAM A. REDMOND. 

